This December I made my annual trip up north to Vancouver, BC to visit family for some early Christmas vibes. Of course I had originally planned for a couple hikes in Squamish & Whistler, but was totally unaware about the freezing conditions up on those northern mountains. (Give me a break, I’m from NorCal where we go most of all four seasons). So instead of the outdoor activities, I turned my attention to Christmas events since I knew a city like Vancouver would have so much to offer.
A FEW OF THINGS TO CONSIDER (tips)
- The weather was definitely my friend. Before I landed in Canada, it had rained for 4 weeks straight. I would like to take full credit for making it stop… as I used my best “Meteolojinx Recanto” spell (Yes, get used to the Harry Potter references). It was still very cold, so remember to bundle up since you'll be spending a lot of time exploring every inch of the lighting displays, stand in line for carousel ride, waiting for Santa photo or ride the Christmas Train in Stanley Park (more on that later). With no rain comes the zero visibly fog, but it all worked out - the fog actually created some amazing photo opportunities.
Foggy Nights at Stanley Park
- Timing is everything. My visit was very early in the holiday season - November 30th - December 8th to be exact. So I avoided most of the larger crowds that you would normally run into a couple weeks before Christmas. I get my dose of those crazy crowds at Disneyland and I DON'T MISS IT. Less crowds means a lots of empty rad pictures. I usually won’t let weather conditions, nor time of day dictate anything I want to do.
BRIGHT NIGHTS AT STANLEY PARK
Location: Pipeline Road in Stanley Park, V6G 1Z4
Nov 30th, 2017 - January 6th, 2018
Adapting to conditions = rad pictures like this.
The first rainless night bought me to the 20th year of BRIGHT NIGHTS at Stanley Park. It didn’t sound too exciting when explained by cousin, but they're locals and hadn’t been there in over 10+ years. But you know the nature of the beast, every year will be bigger and better. For me, when I hear the word “free” and “just a short train ride", I wasn’t expecting a much compared to a place that charges $40 (tourist traps). Boy was I wrong!
Admission into BRIGHT NIGHTS is donation based. A suggested donation of $5.00 is recommended but donate as much as you can for it goes to a great cause. All donations and a portion of ticket sales (train ride) goes to the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund. $1.4 million has been raised to help burn survivors and their families since 1998.
During the holiday season, the Bright Nights Christmas Train and Stanley Park Train Plaza sparkle the dark forest with three million twinkling lights. It operated and installed by 800 firefighters - it is a task that requires over 8,000 hours of set-up over three months.
The Christmas Train is a popular attraction that takes you on a 14 minutes ride. If you are planning to go on the train, buy your tickets online before entering the park. Tickets are $12 per adult, $9 per kids and matinee special for $6 per person (no live performances). Since we were there so early in the season, we were able to walk up to the window and purchase tickets without a problem. This is must see for me! I was going to post video on a very special shot from the train but had a major fail - I didn't push record. Oh well, there are many videos that you can see on YouTube.
Overall I was just blown away with the work that they put in, as it was just simply amazing. Surely nothing that I've seen in NorCal. There are vendors selling chili and other foods, cotton candy and hot chocolate. There was a small trio playing Christmas carols. Also, Santa pictures for $10 donations in a barnyard. Be sure you check BRIGHT NIGHTS at Stanley Park if you're ever in the Vancouver area during the holidays. You won't be disappointed. Happy Christmas everyone.
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